


One Out Of Five

by AMidnightDreary



Series: Whumptober 2019 [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Clones, Established Relationship, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Revenger Loki, Revenger Tony, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 12:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20907326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: "We'll definitely tear this place down," Tony says, and takes the gun.





	One Out Of Five

**Author's Note:**

> **Day 5:** Gun Point

Tony steps into the room with not a single idea what to expect. They gave him a gun - a weird spacy model he hasn't seen before - and the words _ choose wisely _, but that's all. 

He doesn't expect to find four Lokis in the room.

He stares at them for a moment, baffled. They all look back at him with the exact same expression their faces.

"Anthony," one of them says, carefully, and Tony drops the gun and throws himself at the Loki nearest to him.

Loki doesn't stumble backwards; it needs more than a forceful hug from a mortal to make him lose his balance. He catches Tony, more or less, and wraps his arms firmly around him. There is a relieved rush of breath, Tony isn't sure if it's Loki's or his own and he doesn't really care. 

"Fuck, I thought you were dead," he whispers, pulling back to look at Loki. "Are you okay? You look like you're okay, why are you still _ in _ here? What's going on?"

"They bound my magic," Loki says, anger flaring up in his eyes just briefly. He rolls up his sleeve to show Tony the bracelet he is wearing. Its purpose is more that of a shackle, Tony guesses.

"But what's with the clones?" Tony asks, looking at the other three Lokis in the room. One has stood up as well, the other is sitting on the small cot in the room. The third just lounges around, leaning against the wall.

"They are not mine," the sitting Loki answers. "I'm not sure how, but they created them themselves."

"They are not just illusions," the Loki by th wall adds, looking at Tony urgently. "We are all… solid."

"For now," the Loki Tony hugged says, making Tony look back at him. "Three of us will fade out when you fulfill your task, I think."

Tony stares at him. At them. He takes two careful steps back, suddenly wary. He starts feeling a little sick. He looks at the Loki who held him two minutes ago, frowning.

"So - are _ you _ the real -"

"I can't tell you that," the Loki replies, mouth twitching like it always does when Loki is frustrated for some reason. "Pick up the gun."

“I don’t want to pick up the gun,” Tony says. “I don’t want anything to do with that gun.”

“It’s alright, love -”

“No! No, it’s not alright!” Tony glares at them all - at the Loki who tried to soothe him and at the other three. He can’t tell them apart. “I _ hate _ this fucking planet! They said that if I - if I passed this _ test _, you can come back to the ship, but this isn’t a fucking test, it’s a -”

“Calm down,” one Loki interrupts him, stepping closer and cupping Tony’s face. “It _ is _ alright, I promise. You just have to shoot one of us, the chance that you hit -”

“I won’t shoot you, Loki!” Tony shouts. That he even has to say a think like that is already enough to make him angry. “Nobody's getting shot, alright? How can you even - what’s the damned _ point of this _, huh? What are they doing right now?! Sitting behind some kind of one-way mirror and watching as we -”

“Yes,” another Loki cuts him off, standing up from the cot. “Yes, that is _ exactly _ what they are doing right now. I know you enjoy being their little test subject as little as I do, but we hardly have a choice at this point.”

"I am not going to -"

"Yes, you are," another Loki says. "They might have taken some kind of odd liking to me, but I don't wish to stay here forever. If you can prove that you can recognize _ me _, we can leave and pretend this whole disaster never happened." He frowns briefly, then shrugs. "Or tear this wretched planet down. I haven't decided yet."

"Here." One Loki - Tony has by now given up taking track of them - nudges Tony's arm and offers him the gun. "Take it, and shoot."

"In the head, please," another adds. "If you choose wrong, I would like it to be over quickly."

"Not helpful," a third Loki says, scowling at his clone.

"I can't fucking tell you apart," Tony says with a joyless laugh. If Loki creates his own clones, Tony can always tell who the real one is, but these are _ different. _ "I can't -"

"You can," they say, all at once.

And Tony realizes that this is the only chance they have. The only way.

"We'll definitely tear this place down," he says, and takes the gun.

All of them agree with a nod.

Tony looks down at the gun. It looks easy enough to handle. He sees the trigger, that's enough for him to shoot someone. Feeling like he will puke as soon as this is over, he grabs the gun tighter.

And then, the idea.

Tony raises the gun and points at the head of the Loki who hugged him. The Loki holds his gaze, unwavering, unafraid. He doesn't even wince when Tony tries to pull the trigger.

"Oh," Tony says. "Er. I'm sure this usually works."

And Loki smiles. "Well, performance issues. I've been told one out of five -"

Tony cocks the gun and shoots one of the others.


End file.
